Sanctuary Fic -- Sleeping Beauty

[artaxastra]

I think this may be the best Sanctuary story I've ever done.

Spoilers through The Depths.

For penknife, of course.

Comments

[artaxastra]

Thank you! I wish it were too. This last season has been so disappointing. I'm starting to really dislike Helen, and that's killing everything for me.

[artaxastra]

I feel like Helen is massively out of character. Really seriously she just sits and watches terrible things happen? That's absolutely the antithesis of everything we've ever known about her. She just lets millions of people die "because they're supposed to?" She's completely passive for a hundred years? I either can't buy it, or I hate her.

[geonncannon]

Awww, I really love this whole idea! Elegantly done. And I love that it's Tesla bringing her around. :D

[artaxastra]

Thank you! I think it makes more sense than the actual plot, sadly.

And of course he'd go into the machine for her.

[geonncannon]

I'm actually enjoying Season 4! But I can understand how people might not. ;-D

[artaxastra]

I feel like Helen is massively out of character. This is Helen Magnus. Are we really supposed to believe that she just sat back and watched the Holocaust? Seriously? Because in some meta sense all those people are "supposed" to die? And so she's completely passive and does nothing? It's all just complete fatalism? That's exactly the opposite of everything we've known about her so far -- that no matter what, no matter how the chips are down, Helen will try to do something. She'll try to fix it. She'll try to pull it out somehow. And we're supposed to not only buy that she just sits on her ass for a century, but that it's GOOD that she does?

[dbalthasar]

Oh, I want this to be real, and I didn't even see the last 2 episodes....

[artaxastra]

Me too. I really hate this season. I hate the main plot arc, and I'm having a big problem with Helen. I'm just done with this plot.

[dbalthasar]

Rereading this, it's amazing to me how perfectly everything you postulate dovetails. Whatever happens, this is probably my 4th season canon. I want this Helen back!

[death_ofme]

Wow, thank you so much for writing this. It was quite beautiful, and it actually makes more sense to me than the canon of the show right now. I wish this entire season was just some dream of Helen's...

"Helen's perfect little world, where everything is happening according to some secret master plan of yours! Where you have absolute control over everything and even when it hurts like hell it's all yours, no risks, no dealing with other people's agency. Nobody can ever hurt you again because you're not even here. You can just check out.I've been re-watching Season 1 and that part of your fic just really strikes me. It's been bothering me all throughout Season 4. When we first get introduced to Helen she's kickass and a strong character, but she takes her knocks and she isn't perfect at everything. It seems this season the writers have just completely forgotten what made her interesting in the first place and are writing scenes for an excuse to watch her kick someone's ass and throw out one-liners without anything truly affecting her or

[artaxastra]

Thank you!

I've been re-watching Season 1 and that part of your fic just really strikes me. It's been bothering me all throughout Season 4. When we first get introduced to Helen she's kickass and a strong character, but she takes her knocks and she isn't perfect at everything. It seems this season the writers have just completely forgotten what made her interesting in the first place and are writing scenes for an excuse to watch her kick someone's ass and throw out one-liners without anything truly affecting her or without her ever having to come to terms with her flaws.Exactly! What you said

[death_ofme]

It almost feels as if the Sanctuary writing team is split into two halves, because Helen's more outrageous actions do get called out (usually by Will, sometimes James) so the show knows what her flaws are...but then the second half takes over and they merrily skip along and it was "Helen was right all along and can do no wrong!". Uh...no - it's great that there are dark parts to Helen and some morally ambiguous aspects of her character, but explore that. Don't just gloss it over

[artaxastra]

And if we are to believe that Druitt sacrificed himself to send Helen back in time...the first time she encounters him in Victorian London she beats him bloody and moves on. What? The writers were talking about how they were so excited for that exchange and it completely changed the dynamics of Druitt and Helen's relationship - no, it didn't! If anything it was a complete record scratch to the entire episode, let alone the season. I'm just...I'm done

Yeah, me too. She doesn't even care? No regret? Just good riddance?

And with the huge backlash on Druitt's death I hope they listen.

My best hope is that this is like SG-1 season five, which sucked rocks and then they killed Daniel. But they did get over it! Season seven and eight rocked!

[kynical]

God I loved this fic. I'm so bloody tired of the What Shitty Thing will Happen to OOC Helen Magnus season 4 show. I'm really hoping they get things back on track.

[artaxastra]

I've been hoping they'd get back on track. But I'm done waiting. I don't think I'm going to watch the last two episodes unless people tell me that they've fixed things. And since these are probably the last two episodes ever, I think I'll just leave it on this note.